In the world of Shenzhouya, the 'Graceful Divine Land', lies a hidden realm known as the 'Valley of a Hundred Flowers', a land awash in vibrant hues and sweet fragrances, dwelled the enchanting lotus spirit, Princess Chen Mei-Ling. Wherever she walked, petals bloomed at her feet; her laughter chimed like wind-bells on a summer breeze. Though three millennia old, Mei-Ling carried the restless spirit of spring-mischievous, kind-hearted, intelligent, and brave.
She was the beloved youngest daughter of Emperor Chen Mingyu. Of his many daughters, it was Mei-Ling who captured his heart most-his pride, his joy, his wild little lotus.
But the Realm is bound by an ancient pact and was destined to offer a daughter of royal blood in marriage to preserve peace and unity among the lands. Though Mingyu had many daughters, it was Mei-Ling-graced with ethereal beauty, fierce spirit, and the rare gift of lotus-born magic-who captivated the gaze of the Demon Emperor, Wu Fenglian, sovereign of the Shadowed Realms
Reluctantly, and with a heart heavy with sorrow, Mingyu agreed to give his most cherished daughter's hand to the demon ruler-a sacrifice demanded by duty, not desire.
Mei-Ling's blood turned cold the moment she heard. Fenglian-cold, cruel, and terrifying-was eager to claim her. Not for love, but for possession. To break her spirit and bend her kingdom.
The mere thought sent shivers crawling down Mei-Ling's spine.
"I'm a peace treaty now?" she scoffed bitterly to her maid, Zhao Jingfei. "Lovely. Perhaps they'll carve my face on a coin next-Property of Fenglian."
"You'd still be the prettiest coin," Jingfei deadpanned, folding laundry without looking up.
Mei-Ling's fists clenched. "No. I refuse to be his... anything."
Yet, as the ink dried on the marriage scroll-etched with dark runes and binding oaths-Mei-Ling knew her father had signed her into a gilded prison. Fenglian was already gloating, parading his 'prize' before the demonic courts.
"He says he adores you, Princess," Jingfei reported, her tone dry as desert wind. "Apparently, you'll make a lovely crown jewel in his collection."
"Oh, wonderful," Mei-Ling sneered, flopping onto a pile of silken cushions. "What next? He'll mount me over his throne?"
Jingfei smirked. "Probably. He strikes me as the type who bathes in milk and entitlement."
Mei-Ling glared at the infernal marriage contract. "If I have to marry that... thing, I swear I'll throw myself into the Void."
Jingfei lifted a brow. "Shall I pack your Void bag, or are we traveling light?"
That night, while the moon wept silver tears across the sky, Mei-Ling made her true choice.
"I'm done being their pawn... their peace offering," she whispered to the night. "I'll run so far no one will ever find me. Somewhere no one knows my name... where I can live as I please, without bonds, without fate clawing at my heels."
And with that, the princess no longer waited for anyone's permission-she would write her own ending.
With her loyal white tiger 'Bai Gui' stalking silently at her side, Mei-Ling crept into the sacred vault-deep beneath the palace where no light dared linger. There it sat-an ancient rune, humming with untamed power, its surface etched with the markings of an ancient oak tree, long forgotten by time.
Her only way out.
Mei-Ling stared at it, heart pounding. "Father once told me... this rune is a pathway to another world," she whispered, almost to herself. "But no one knows where. All its secrets were lost to time... and no one's even sure it still works." A bitter smile ghosted her lips. "But I have to try."
She ran trembling fingers over the rune's worn surface, tracing the old oak engraving like a farewell. Then, with a soft breath, she pressed her forehead to the rune-caressing it like a long-lost lover.
"I'm not doing this for duty... not for them... not anymore," Mei-Ling whispered. "I'm doing this for me."
The air went still, thick with the weight of her choice. For a breathless moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then-suddenly-the rune flared, pulsing a brilliant green, as if it had heard... and agreed.
"Princess?" Jingfei's voice rang out, panicked, from the shadows. "Tell me you're not seriously-"
"Oh, I'm seriously," Mei-Ling grinned, eyes gleaming with reckless defiance. "Fenglian... you can marry yourself."
Without another word, Mei-Ling seized the rune. Her magic, wild and desperate, flooded the chamber-twisting through the ancient symbols, feeding off her will, laced with rage and petty revenge.
The ground cracked. The sky-high above-shuddered. A portal ripped itself open with a deafening roar, shrieking like a furious dragon unchained.
Mei-Ling stood at the edge, the wind whipping through her hair. She cast one last glance back-at the palace, the kingdom, the life that had been chosen for her.
"No arranged marriages. No emperors. No thrones. I'm done."
With a wild laugh, light and tasting of freedom, Mei-Ling leapt into the unknown.
"Wait-damn it, Princess! You're not leaving me behind!" Jingfei cursed, hiking her skirts up as she sprinted after her mistress.
With a low, rumbling growl, Gui snarled at the crumbling vault one last time before lunging after them.
Together, maid and tiger dove in-just as the portal began to collapse-disappearing into the blinding green light after their runaway princess.
And just like that... they were gone.
Meanwhile...
In the Valley of a Hundred Flowers
The throne hall trembled with the weight of bad news.
Mingyu sat motionless, his knuckles whitening around the carved armrests as his chief guide finished the report, head bowed low.
"...And, Your Majesty... the sacred vault was breached. The ancient rune is... gone."
Mingyu's jaw clenched so hard it creaked. "Gone?" His voice was low-dangerous, like a storm gathering strength.
The guide swallowed hard. "Y-Yes, Your Majesty... And... the princess... along with her pet tiger and maid, Zhao Jingfei... They are... missing."
Silence fell heavy, the kind that crushed every soul in the room.
Mingyu's eyes burned-not with hatred, but helpless fury. "That foolish girl... Mei-Ling..." he breathed. His precious daughter. His last lotus. She had truly done the unthinkable.
"I should be furious enough to raze half the realm," the Emperor growled. "But... she is my daughter." He shut his eyes briefly, pain flashing across his face. "And if she has chosen to run... it is because I failed to protect her from this cursed pact."
The head priest dared speak. "Your Majesty... if Demon Emperor Fenglian learns of this-"
"He won't," Mingyu snapped, voice cold as winter frost. "He must not. If Fenglian knows Mei-Ling fled... he will hunt her. And he will find her."
He stood slowly, the weight of the throne heavy on his shoulders. "No one leaves this palace with this news. Seal the vault. Silence the witnesses. From this moment... the princess is on a diplomatic mission. That is the official record."
The priest bowed, but dared another question. "And... the rune, Your Majesty? If she truly used it...?"
Mingyu's expression darkened. "The rune is old magic. Ancient. Its power lost to time... but there were once three of them. Scattered across this world."
His gaze sharpened. "Unless Fenglian finds the two remaining runes, he cannot follow her. Not across realms. Not even with all his cursed armies."
Mingyu took a deep breath, his voice softening with rare affection. "Wherever you've run, Mei-Ling... stay hidden. Live free. I will carry this secret... until my grave."
He turned away from the court, eyes cast toward the horizon. "You will not become his prize, my daughter... Not while I still draw breath."
****
Zvjezdano Nórland - The Celestial Northlands
They landed with a jarring thud-thrown face-first into the gritty earth, a bed of pine needles cushioning their fall yet pricking their skin, the air thick with the potent aroma of moss. Towering above them were ancient pines, their branches clawing at the heavens with a fierce determination. The air was sharp and cold, saturated with the rich scent of sap and the primordial smell of damp earth.
Mei-Ling groaned, shaking a cascade of leaves from her tangled hair. "Wh...where are we?" she muttered, her voice a mixture of confusion and awe.
The forest around them shimmered with unseen life, a world alive and breathing. Strange, ephemeral lights flitted among the branches-ethereal creatures whose laughter echoed like the giggles of mischievous children. In the distance, the wind carried the delicate melody of chimes, a hauntingly beautiful sound that seemed to dance on the air.
As if on cue, a sudden, piercing shriek sliced through the ambiance-Jingfei was suspended upside down, her ankle ensnared in the gnarled grip of a twisted tree. Her dress hung embarrassingly over her head, revealing far more than dignity should permit.
"GET. ME. DOWN!" Jingfei howled in frustration, her voice cutting through the forest's tranquility.
Mei-Ling erupted into laughter, her mirth spilling over as tears welled in her eyes. "Oh gods, Jingfei... the forest clearly has a fondness for you," she gasped between giggles.
"Princess, this is not-I can feel the breeze!" Jingfei retorted, her indignation clear.
Amidst her laughter, Mei-Ling attempted to conjure a spell-only for her magic to fizzle out, powerless in this strange realm. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "This is humiliating."
"Ya think!?" Jingfei flailed with renewed vigor. "Just climb the damn tree!"
Before Mei-Ling could make an attempt, the branch gave way with a sharp crack-sending Jingfei crashing down into her. They landed in an ungraceful heap on the forest floor, a tangled mess of limbs and ruined silk.
"So... romantic," Jingfei wheezed, trying to catch her breath, "if it weren't for the mud up my nose."
Their laughter faded into silence as Gui suddenly froze-ears alert, muscles coiled with tension. From the shadows, a figure lunged out of the trees.
SNAP.
The tiger let out a fearsome roar-but it was too late. A net of sinuous vines lifted him swiftly skyward.
Mei-Ling spun around, only to feel the chilling touch of cold steel against her throat. Hot breath tickled her ear as a deep, unfamiliar voice rumbled words she couldn't comprehend.
"Beautiful," the voice drawled with a hint of menace, "but trespassing."
The man was enormous, his form cloaked in rugged leather, his breath carrying the metallic scent of blood and the crispness of snow. Mei-Ling shivered, not from fear, but from a far more perilous sensation.
"Hey!" Jingfei attempted to tackle the intimidating figure-only to be effortlessly bundled like a sack of potatoes, muffled curses and kicks resonating from inside the bag.
Mei-Ling glared defiantly. "You dare-"
The man's knife pressed more insistently against her skin. "Shh," he commanded.
Finally, Mei-Ling turned to meet his gaze, locking eyes with ice-blue orbs. A jagged scar marred one side of his face, and his long, silver hair glinted in the forest's waning light. Seven feet tall, he exuded a lethal grace, every inch of him a testament to his formidable presence.
From the shadows, more pointy-eared men emerged, their expressions unreadable.
With a single gesture, the mysterious man silenced Mei-Ling with a wave of magic, and the world around her dissolved into darkness.